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Gone But Not Forgotten: Ben Padilla (5/2/25)
On May 25, 2003, at Luanda's Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Angola, a Boeing 727 with tail number N844AA mysteriously took off without clearance, piloted by Ben Padilla—a seasoned aviation mechanic, flight engineer, and private pilot—and another unidentified individual. The plane, originally a commercial airliner converted to cargo use, was undergoing maintenance when it suddenly taxied down the runway and vanished into the skies over the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind no trace. Despite international search efforts involving the FBI, CIA, and various aviation authorities, no concrete leads or evidence ever surfaced, fueling countless theories ranging from financial theft and clandestine operations to possible terrorist involvement. Padilla's family believes he was coerced into the incident, while others speculate on his possible involvement. The mystery of the missing Boeing 727 and Ben Padilla remains one of aviation's most perplexing cases, with neither the man nor the massive aircraft ever found, raising questions about how such a disappearance could occur in the age of modern surveillance.
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bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
Published on 1 week ago